UMass President Robert Caret asks legislature for increase in state funding

Photo by Diane Lederman/The RepublicanUniversity of Massachusetts Robert L. Caret again made his plea for a hike in state funding before members of the state Legislature's Joint Committee on Ways and Means on campus Thursday.

This was the third year the committee has held budgetary hearings on the UMass-Amherst campus, according to Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington, who chaired the meeting.

The morning testimony focused on education with Caret and other state education officials talking about their respective programs as well as Gov. Deval L. Patrick’s fiscal budget.

Members of the committee voiced concerns with Patrick's plan to place all community colleges under a governing board in Boston, as a way to improve coordination for statewide and regional job training.

Last month, Patrick submitted his $32.3 billion 2013 fiscal budget, which included $455 million for the five-campus UMass system, a six percent increase over the current budget. The 2013 budget also includes $25.5 million to pay for bargained increases in union employee contracts.

Caret asked the legislature to contribute 50 percent of the cost of education instead of the 45 percent it now pays. He said that the state previously contributed 65 percent of the costs.

Partially as a result of the reduction of student aid, student debt has risen from about $13,000 three or four years ago to $23,000 to $26,000, he said.

"We don't believe that's acceptable, Caret said, noting that the system is spending 22 percent less than in 1999. "There's only so much efficiency you can build into the system."

At the same time, the UMass system is looking at ways to increase efficiency by reevaluating the summer and online classes offered as ways to allow students to graduate earlier.

Before the hearing, Caret said the student fee hike is contingent on how much money the system can obtain from the state.

"We prefer to keep it to zero," he said, but "we're looking at (keeping it in line with) inflation."

Caret said some campuses would like to see higher hikes to help pay for construction costs.

While fee increases traditionally have been equal at all five campuses, there has, in recent years, been talks of a "flagship fee."

"All options are on the table," Caret said, adding that the Board of Trustees likely won’t set fees until the spring or summer when there is more budget certainty.

Undersecretary of Education Tom Weber recalled talking to a college president who didn't have money to buy a piece of equipment needed to teach precision manufacturing.

"Each campus is left to do what it can do with its resources," Weber said, citing the lack of coordination within the system. "The benefit of centralized governance could look at making that money available."

Massachusetts Commissioner of Higher Education Richard M. Freeland said having a centralized office “is not at odds with local” concerns and needs.

Weber said the governor wants to provide an additional $10 million to the community college system. The proposal to centralize would do more good than harm, he said.

Robert L. Pura, president of Greenfield Community College, was planning to testify later. During a break, he said that he has the utmost respect for Patrick, but noted that he wouldn't be governor forever.

"Western Massachusetts is not going to be served well by a centralized effort," Pura said. "Increasing funding both from the state and raising it from businesses is a good thing. But centralization, it has to be thought out. We have to be concerned about the logic."